My hosts thoughtfully provided a huge bowl of fresh fruit, a bottle of very tasty dry Prosecco, and olive oil from their family farm as well. The apartment had charming character, with wood beams on the ceilings, a sitting area and a very comfortable bed in a spacious bedroom, all for about $84 a night. Food from the local Conad market was a surprisingly good and affordable alternative to eating out every night. Look for the promotions–I bought cheese with truffles on special for just a couple euros and it was divine! Instead of dinners out, my classmates and I occasionally went out for a glass or two of wine and a charcuterie board and were not disappointed.

Though I was in the San’ Egidio area, it was only about a 15 minute walk to the art studio across the river, through streets just off the main travelways. The Duomo was just a couple blocks away if I decided I wanted to people watch. Because buildings are close together on very narrow streets, floor level apartments tend to be dark, but during hot weather that can be a blessing. And I spent a majority of my daylight hours exploring the city, anyway. Because there is so much activity on the streets til later in the evening, I felt completely safe wandering around at night with my camera, getting evening shots of the lights along the river, views of Ponte Vecchio and the old gates of the city.

There are many churches worth popping into to see frescoes and sculptures, but be respectful of the fact that they are primarily places of worship. In spring, the iris garden is free and is lovely in full bloom! The Il Papiro stores sell prints, writing implements and papers, and also put on free demonstrations of paper marbling, which is a fun process to observe. Because I was in Florence for an extended stay, I splurged on a Friends of Uffizi card (Amici degli Uffizi) card which allowed me to have unlimited visits to the Uffizi, Bardini and Boboli Gardens and the Palazzo Pitti. I could pop in for an hour or two after class several times a week. Heaven!